I spent a great deal of time at my aunt's house and I saw the turmoil the children had faced because of the parent's overwhelming love for their first son.
"Jenny, I'm not happy with the way things are going." Elizabeth, one of my cousins said as she paced back and forth in the room I had shared with her.
"Calm down, there's no way they'll shove your admission aside." I said to her, in a bid to calm her down.
She had just been admitted to the university and the fear that her parents would push aside her needs for her brother's, made her uncomfortable. It seemed like they were waiting for the approval of the first son before they could decide whether to send her to the university or not.
"It's unfair that Darius is getting all the attention from our parents. They should've given birth to just him, but now the rest of us have to fend for ourselves while they lavish the little they have on him." She cried and fell on the bed.
I stared at her for some time and rubbed her back. I could only imagine the pain she must've been going through to see that her parents cared more about their first son. In a way, I was glad my parents were different because I would probably not be able to hold it in like she did.
Darius was the first son and the first child of the seven children his parents had birthed and they adored him so much. His mother went all out in spoiling him and as a result of this, he became self-centered and lazy. His parents forfeited all the opportunities their other children had gotten and channeled all their energy to him, with the claim that he'd take care of his younger siblings when he became rich.
A knock came to the door, and Daniel, their last child walked in, wearing a deep frown.
"What's with the look on your face?" I asked him.
"Mom just turned down my proposal." He replied and immediately, his sister got up from the bed.
"What did you just say?" She asked him.
"They said I have to wait for Darius to get certified on the business he plans on venturing into before they'd attend to me." Daniel responded to her.
"This is crazy. I think they've finally lost their minds and I can't keep it together anymore. What else do they want to give to Darius for crying out loud? Can't they see that he's the bane of our lives?" She cried out and stormed out of the room.
I sighed loudly and shook my head. At that moment, I felt a great relief that they weren't my parents as well. Soon, the shouts of Elizabeth and her parents were heard and I rushed out of the room with Daniel to ensure that things didn't get out of hand.
"All you care about is your darling son who hasn't lifted a finger for himself for once." Elizabeth yelled at her parents.
"How dare you say that? We've done all we could for all of you and you'll never appreciate our efforts." Her mother screamed back at her.
"Is that the lie you tell yourselves? I told you about my admission yesterday and till now, you both have said nothing. Daniel just got a golden opportunity to venture into a business and you want him to stay back till Darius gets certified. What in hell does that mean?" Elizabeth roared in anger.
"Elizabeth!!! That's enough." Her father intercepted her as she was about to keep going with her words.
"No, Dad, it's never enough. Did your parents neglect you to cater to the needs of your other siblings? Every single thing we've ever wanted, you took it away and gave it to him. Nancy dropped out of school so he could further his education, she was lucky to have married a wealthy man. John wouldn't have been in school if Jenny's dad hadn't taken it upon himself to see him through school. The same goes for Bethel, who has been fending for himself and now, you'll still deprive us of the chance to better our lives because of your son?" Elizabeth threw the words at her parents.
From where I stood, I could feel the anger and pain that were surging through her, but all I could do was pity her and her siblings because indeed, it was too much of a pain to bear.
"We have great plans for all of you, but Darius is the first son and if he gets certified, Daniel won't be having a problem. He could go work with him and still better his life. Wouldn't that be a win for everyone?" The father tried to explain to Elizabeth but that got the attention of Daniel instead.
"So I have to wait till he starts a business of his own before I can earn a living for myself. Is that the plan? I wonder why I was born into this family in the first place." Daniel said and walked into his room, ignoring the calls from his mother.
I quietly went back to my room and dialed my mom's cell.
"Hi, mom." I greeted when she picked up.
"My baby girl, how's it going over there?" She asked me.
"Mom, I want to come home." I mumbled a response.
"What's going on over there?" She asked me and I poured the whole story of my aunt's and uncle's ignorance towards their children's needs.
My mom was quiet for a while after I had told my tale.
"I wonder why they pay more attention to a person who doesn't want to help himself. That boy is a graduate, why can't he go out there and hunt for a job? They're only promoting hatred between their children and it's bad. John could've ended up as a thug or worse still, a criminal if your dad hadn't taken him in. Anyway, I can't let your dad take on any more of their troubles, we have you and your siblings to cater for. They should fix their family before it's too late." My mom responded.
My holiday finally came to an end and I was more than happy to return home. When I got home, I told my dad all that had happened and he decided to call my aunt and speak to her.
Later that night, I overheard his conversation with my mom and from the look of things, it seemed like his advice to his sister wasn't welcomed and it had caused a quarrel between them.
Time flew by quickly. Elizabeth got married and the dreams of furthering her education ended. Daniel had moved in with Bethel, who had managed to start up a business of his own and Daniel worked for him.
Darius, at his end, had abandoned his business plans and lived with his parents. The parents were forced to cater to his needs and when they got frustrated with the whole issue, they still couldn't bring themselves to advise him.
Darius visited my dad one time and laid out a series of complaints to him about his siblings.
"Darius, I suggest you make peace with your siblings. That's the best thing to do." My dad had said to him.
"How can I make peace with people that do not acknowledge me? Nancy and Elizabeth are both married to rich men but they don't pay attention to my needs. John and the other boys are a different case altogether." He replied and my dad stared at him in utter disbelief.
"Darius, are you saying that you want your younger siblings to cater for you?" My dad asked him.
"It's the least they can do for me. We're family and they're better off than me currently. Couldn't they help me in any way?" Darius complained.
"I can't believe that you're saying this. After all they've been through for your sake, you still want them to cater to your needs. You should be grateful that they're taking care of your parents when you've been doing nothing. Darius, you need to work on yourself." My dad said to him.
"Ain't they supposed to understand that it's not my fault that things didn't work out well for me?" Darius tried to defend himself and this pissed off my dad.
"Darius, your parents used all their resources on you with the hope that you'd help your siblings in the end, but you lavished their wealth and never took anything seriously. To imagine that you're saying this, is very disappointing. You forget quickly that your siblings suffered for your sake and while they waited on you to take up your responsibility, you were away with the fairies and now, you want them to tend to your needs as well. I will hear no more of this." My dad responded to him and exited the room, leaving him to ponder on his words.
Thanks for reading
